Page 48 of Challenge Me

He lifted one brow. “Why not?”

“Because this isn’t going to work.”

“So why—”

I cut him off by pressing my lips to his, too firmly to allow more nonsensical questions. His groan vibrated against my mouth, and my entire body lit up.

This was about where I’d find myself making crazy declarations and looking for ways to convince a guy that I could offer him something worth staying for, even if I had to make it up.

But this was Amir Darya. He wasn’t Cole, who would bring drugs into my house, despite how I felt about them. I couldn’t imagine Amir ever laying a hand on me, no matter how much I got in his face or aggravated him. He wouldn’t leave me high and dry just to come back months later as if everything was fine. He would simply leave and go back to his life that didn’t involve some guy who lived in a bar and couldn’t sleep without a weapon next to him. A guy who confused abuse with love, even though logically he was smart enough to know the difference.

That was why I told him this wasn’t going to work.

And it might have been why I was drawn to him altogether.

I swung my leg off of him and backpedaled when he tried to reach for me.

He huffed and drooped his head. “Come back.”

“You set the match. Kissing doesn’t equal sex, remember?”

“I didn’t mention sex, you maniac. Sit your ass down and eat.”

I glanced at the quesadilla. “Not hungry. I’ll eat it later.”

“Have half.”

“You sound like a goddamned dad.”

“I am.”

“Oh, right.”

I sat in my lounger and picked up the plate. My stomach wasn’t excited for it, but I took a bite of the quesadilla anyway. There was movement from Amir’s side, and before I could react, he was already climbing onto my chair behind me.

“This is boyfriend stuff, right?” he asked as he boxed me in with his legs on either side of me.

Gripping my quesadilla with both hands like a child, I leaned back enough that I was pressed against his chest but not exactly resting. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

I lifted one shoulder as the sun disappeared the rest of the way. “In the not-so-distant past, ‘boyfriend stuff’ was having my nose almost broken because he saw a random guy tip me at the bar.”

Amir’s fingers trailed up the bare skin of my back. “I’m sorry.”

“Damn, I didn’t mean to trauma dump.”

“It’s fine.”

“I told you I’m not good at the boyfriend stuff.”

“Sounds to me like you weren’t the one in the wrong.”

Not knowing what to say, I let myself tip my head back to rest on his shoulder. The sun had already set, and there wasn’t much to see, but we sat there in a strangely contented silence while the city moved along at its usual pace below.

Chapter 13

Amir